Pivot Door Latching?

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I am getting lots of pivot doors to price all of a sudden. I have little expertise or experience with the latching and locking hardware. Customers and builders know they want tall pulls both sides, but go no further.

In two earlier conventionally hinged projects, we used concealed closers in the heads and a simple tubular deadbolt on the door and jamb. They worked fine, but the lock felt underscaled. The doors I'm pricing are huge (really, really huge), so they will be torsion boxes, but a weeny tubular deadbolt will not be appropriate, in my opinion.

I have found some magnetic locks for doors like this (?) but have no experience.

Take a look at Adams Rite deadbolts, I use the 1877 2 point lock in quite a few doors (usually pairs of storefront doors) and they also make a 3 point deadbolt. The system uses threaded rod that can easily be extended to suit any height of door

Thanks, Phil. That may be just what we need. I actually used one of their mortise latches where we had fixed pulls, but needed to lock a wine cellar door. I did not look further to see the multipoints that are key operated.

Now the one client has asked about a magnetic/electric latch that would work from a touch pad inside and maybe key fob outside. He's been watching too much James Bond, but he has made the request. I have found some magnetic latches that go in the door edge and the jamb, but don't know how they work, or activate, or finishes, etc.

We are also seeing an uptick in interest on pivot doors. We are in Canada, where weather is variable! To date I have decided requests to build these doors due to concerns about weather sealing. How do you weather strip these doors?

I wonder if anyone has used the magnetic locks that operate from different types of controls - key fobs, push buttons, etc.? Link to one site is below.

J! -What is make or type of ball catches? The ones I know of are cheap and cheaper, and the strike plates are heavily lipped and loose.

I plan on two grooves in the perimeter of the door that will hold Pemko silicone bulb type strip. The top and bottom strips will straddle the pivot hinges. The bulb is in 3 diameters, so we can switch it out out to get the best seal.

I am talking heavy duty roller catch, not a ball catch. Ives, Deltana, even Emtek has a fairly decent adjustable roller catch. Pivot doors don't weatherstrip well at all and we are in a cold winter area, just have to disclose up front. We have been mostly going to double adjustable brush sweeps top and bottom and a Rixson pivot. The challenge is of course if you center mount the door you may need extended strike plates.

One of these pivot jobs would go for the retinal scanner or similar. He is using "switchable" glass in the sidelights, and fond of the James Bond type of technology.

How to replace the deadbolt? Nothing but long tall pulls on either side of the door. At 10' tall, I'd like to have 2 - 3 latch points if possible. Free swinging with roller catches, or a closer and no rollers, but how to lock?

I actually have a flip phone and one that is even less advanced in my junk drawer. Some of us are comfortable with our level of tech. Personally, I would get rid of my phone, altogether.

We now have what I term as a "private shop" that does not welcome visitors except by prior appointment. Customers can be an exception, but to not have random visitors showing up lets us stay focused on our work and enjoy the advance that every day presents.

We used Smart Tint brand on a job last year at the customers request. It was a nightmare. Operating windows, doors with electronic locks and operating windows in the doors with the film.

All Euro design so butt hinges with wire transfer would not work. We found out too late that Simonswerk makes some nice wire transfer hinges for Euro design. The wire transfers from Winkhaus were good but Smart Tint's were lacking.

Fix sidelights should be easy as long as the connection to the film is good.

No help on the pivot doors. We do some interior but hard to gasket in this climate for exterior. A good way to hinge heavy doors though.

I am saying things like "hard to gasket" and "originated in So Cal where the climate is so much more mild", "experiment" and such, but I don't think anyone is hearing me. Funny how some customer's eyes just glaze over as they say "pivot door" in nearly hushed tones. You know logic already left the room.

I think I can get past the w-strip if I can just get comfortable with the hardware. The Adams looks to be one good solution.

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